[Libs-Or] Statement from OLA President re: the election, libraries, and Happy Thanksgiving

[OLA President]

“In our democratic society, the library stands for hope, for learning, for
progress, for literacy, for self-improvement and for civic engagement. The
library is a symbol of opportunity, citizenship, equality, freedom of
speech and freedom of thought, and hence, is a symbol for democracy
itself.” Vartan Gregorian


Dear OLA Community,

In the days and weeks since the election, (and certainly before), we have
seen divided political discourse in our country. Whatever your political
position may be personally, I believe we can acknowledge that deep divides
have been exposed in our communities because of the inflammatory rhetoric
and contentious campaigning of the last few months. The nation’s
presidential election was one of many decisions in front of voters this
November--we also heard their voices in response to local issues, a few of
which involved Oregon libraries, as you know. As our mission states, the
Oregon Library Association is here to “provide advocacy, education,
leadership and collaboration to continually strengthen Oregon's libraries
and the communities we serve.” We will continue to work together to realize
this mission.

Therefore, I think it is appropriate to take a moment to reaffirm and
celebrate the core values (http://bit.ly/1oejqPh) that guide us as members
of the library community. I also think it is important to say that, as this
is the week of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for a professional solidarity
with each of you for the values that we share, including honoring
diversity, intellectual freedom, education, and social responsibility.

A library is a place of welcoming and safety to all members of its
community. We feel a strong sense of ethical duty to serve all our patrons
fairly, to help them learn, grow, participate in our programs, and take
advantage of the resources we can provide. By doing so, we foster a
stronger sense of community and play a valuable role in our cherished
democracy.

Thank you for the work you do each day to provide needed support to Oregon
communities.

Sincerely,

Elsa Loftis

President, Oregon Library Association 2016-2017
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